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A Year of Junk Journaling: 52 creative prompts to transform scraps of your life into art
The number 1 rule of junk journaling is there are no rules.
This is a companion to your journaling journey, with 52 weekly prompts and ideas encouraging you to tap into your creative side.
Whether you’re brand new to junk journaling or already hoard paper scraps and washi tape, this book will gently guide you through a year of playful, imperfect
COLLECT everything that inspires you or reminds you of something you want to remember REFLECT to take a mindful moment for yourself to pause and think about what you are creating CREATE with practical steps to try new crafty techniques in your junk journal
You'll find heaps of fun, original ideas for what to include in your scrapbook, as well as tips on how to brainstorm and source materials. The 52 projects are built to inspire you – you'll create a portrait of you, celebrate your favourite snacks, play with textures and colour palettes, send yourself future notes, reflect on meaningful holidays and be encouraged to use your precious sticker stash...
Embrace imperfection, expand your creativity, preserve your memories and get stuck in!
This is a companion to your journaling journey, with 52 weekly prompts and ideas encouraging you to tap into your creative side.
Whether you’re brand new to junk journaling or already hoard paper scraps and washi tape, this book will gently guide you through a year of playful, imperfect
COLLECT everything that inspires you or reminds you of something you want to remember REFLECT to take a mindful moment for yourself to pause and think about what you are creating CREATE with practical steps to try new crafty techniques in your junk journal
You'll find heaps of fun, original ideas for what to include in your scrapbook, as well as tips on how to brainstorm and source materials. The 52 projects are built to inspire you – you'll create a portrait of you, celebrate your favourite snacks, play with textures and colour palettes, send yourself future notes, reflect on meaningful holidays and be encouraged to use your precious sticker stash...
Embrace imperfection, expand your creativity, preserve your memories and get stuck in!
- GenresNonfictionCraftsArt
176 pages, Hardcover
Published October 14, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 23, 2025
Lovely 🥰
June 13, 2026
This is a gorgeously designed book showing colorful (or even monochrome) examples from the author's own prompt responses. Some of her journal prompts were maybe a bit cheesy or pointless to me, but maybe they wouldn't be to someone else. Some were quite interesting and made you think, "Now, what would MY response be here?" For example, the life timeline, bookshelf, movie reels, and family traditions are thought-provoking ideas that make you want to reflect, respond, and tactically hold memories in place with photos, trim, recipe cards, crafted envelopes, glue, washi tape, and a hole punch.
Each 2 to 4 page spread begins with a 2 or 3 sentence explanation of the journaling prompt, ideas of what to collect, a reflection paragraph, and ideas for creation. At the end of the page, she writes a sentence or two about her own example response. And the whole page is nicely arranged in an easy-to-read format. Then, of course, there is the page (sometimes 3!) of example junk journaling. It's a fun book for the "professional" junk journaler or for the newbie who might just enjoy learning about the process and pouring over someone else's creative design!
Each 2 to 4 page spread begins with a 2 or 3 sentence explanation of the journaling prompt, ideas of what to collect, a reflection paragraph, and ideas for creation. At the end of the page, she writes a sentence or two about her own example response. And the whole page is nicely arranged in an easy-to-read format. Then, of course, there is the page (sometimes 3!) of example junk journaling. It's a fun book for the "professional" junk journaler or for the newbie who might just enjoy learning about the process and pouring over someone else's creative design!
June 25, 2026
I really thought this book was a treat, as a fellow journal-keeper. The prompts are detailed, varied, and accessible, and the full-color spreads of Calvi's own journal pages are lovely. I'd recommend this for:
1) people who used to have Rookie Mag set as their web browser homepage in the 2010s-- the girlish, glittery, mixed media vibe is the same. God, I miss the Rookie days. I particularly looked forward to their printable collage kits, and this book scratches that same inspiration itch.
2) people who amass craft supplies and personal mementos but are too squeamish about using them "correctly" to actually make anything. Calvi presents several art prompts that even the most skittish perfectionist could follow without anxiety, such as collecting teabag tags to arrange into a grid, or filling a page with strips of patterned washi tape. The emphasis is on mark-making and experimentation in general rather than the final result (though I'm always fond of the final results in all their whimsical chaos anyway).
A few of the prompts seemed a bit too similar to one another, but that's a really minor complaint-- I think anyone would have a hard time coming up with 52 totally discrete concepts. I have been junk journaling since 2013 and there were a few prompts in here that were new for me, so I'm pleasantly surprised to have some fresh ideas to try out sometime. I'm also just a big snoop, so I loved having the opportunity to see someone else's journal pages. :-)
1) people who used to have Rookie Mag set as their web browser homepage in the 2010s-- the girlish, glittery, mixed media vibe is the same. God, I miss the Rookie days. I particularly looked forward to their printable collage kits, and this book scratches that same inspiration itch.
2) people who amass craft supplies and personal mementos but are too squeamish about using them "correctly" to actually make anything. Calvi presents several art prompts that even the most skittish perfectionist could follow without anxiety, such as collecting teabag tags to arrange into a grid, or filling a page with strips of patterned washi tape. The emphasis is on mark-making and experimentation in general rather than the final result (though I'm always fond of the final results in all their whimsical chaos anyway).
A few of the prompts seemed a bit too similar to one another, but that's a really minor complaint-- I think anyone would have a hard time coming up with 52 totally discrete concepts. I have been junk journaling since 2013 and there were a few prompts in here that were new for me, so I'm pleasantly surprised to have some fresh ideas to try out sometime. I'm also just a big snoop, so I loved having the opportunity to see someone else's journal pages. :-)
November 3, 2025
Received this at the junk journal party my friend had in honor of this book coming out. I loved Martina's "Art of Memory Collecting" book and was thrilled to see she had a new book coming out. I have already started doing a few different prompts in the book, but I plan to do them all throughout the next year!
January 27, 2026
This is less how-to than more look-what-I-did-and-be-inspired.
I fail to see how gluing a bunch of candy wrappers to a scrapbook page helps you remember the good times.
That's what cavities are for . . .
I fail to see how gluing a bunch of candy wrappers to a scrapbook page helps you remember the good times.
That's what cavities are for . . .
January 31, 2026
lovely book of bright ideas. brilliant cover design cute and layout. for the memory collector in all of us. I want to go back & read her first book. the find and seek activity for the hidden gems at the end was a nice touch. interested to look into the books in her favorites spread for inspiration
May 12, 2026
I loved the set up of the book and the simplicity of the book. I really like how it sparked different ideas and different themes that I could do junk journaling and not just journaling but to incorporate into other arts and craft ideas.
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October 15, 2025so so cutie
October 25, 2025
Good ideas.
December 19, 2025
got some cutie journal ideas!! the other book was better imo
January 13, 2026
Some fun ideas!
February 20, 2026
Such a fun edition to add to my crafting books. So excited to utilize some of the prompts that were hi-lighted!
February 22, 2026
What a fun concept!
March 29, 2026
Cute ideas
April 5, 2026
A great book for ideas to make journals
May 20, 2026
Many fun ideas.
May 25, 2026
Very repetitive & the ideas aren’t particularly innovative. Eg. Stick a photo for birthday, dreams, Christmas … etc is just saying the same thing over & over again.
June 23, 2026
super cute and gave me inspo i've wanted to do more junk journaling 🥹🥹
March 5, 2026
my definition of junk journaling and martina's are different but i already recreated one of the prompt in this book and see myself recreate some more of its prompts very soon. overall it was a sweet and inspiring read.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews